Fresh Start: Podcast News (3/25/2018 Sun.)
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Welcome to Fresh Start.

This is People’s Daily app.

Here are today’s picks from our editors.

China, India ink $2.4 billion trade deals

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Business representatives from China and India struck deals worth nearly $2.4 billion under the witness of both countries’ trade officials in New Delhi on Saturday afternoon.

The deals involved black tea, castor oil, peppermint oil, coco fiber, green coffee beans and other products, with a total value equaling 14.5 percent of Chinese imports from India in 2017, according to China’s Ministry of Commerce. 

The deals are the initial outcome of a five-day visit from a Chinese trade promotion group, led by China’s Ministry of Commerce. (People’s Daily app)

MOC says China has always respected WTO rules

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China’s Ministry of Commerce expressed regret on Saturday at the US for filing a challenge at the World Trade Organization (WTO), saying China has always respected WTO rules.

China has attached attention to the intellectual property rights (IPRs) protection with consistent practice, and the achievement has been acknowledged by international society, the ministry said in a statement released on its website.

The ministry also said it will initiate appropriate procedures in accordance with the WTO regulations to deal with the US request for consultations. (People’s Daily app)

China hits out at US provocation in South China Sea

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China's Ministry of National Defense has said Friday a US warship's entry into the waters around China's islands and reefs in the South China Sea is serious political and military provocation.

According to Ren Guoqiang, a spokesperson for the ministry, the USS Mustin, a guided missile destroyer, arbitrarily entered waters surrounding islands and reefs in the South China Sea, before two Chinese vessels identified it and warned it off.

China resolutely opposes such actions, as they harm military relations between the two countries, causing close encounters between the countries' air forces and navies, which could lead to misjudgment and even accidents, according to the spokesperson.

Ren further noted that the provocation would only drive the Chinese military to continue to improve its defense capabilities. (Xinhua)

Rally against gun violence gathers 500,000 protesters in US capital

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Roughly 500,000 protesters gathered in Washington on Saturday to demand action against gun violence in the wake of the recent massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in South Florida.

“March For Our Lives” protesters are demanding stricter gun laws, a ban on assault rifles and expanded background checks to cover all gun purchases. The protesters are also urging all participants to vote in the coming elections.

Protest organizers say there are more than 800 marches being held around the world, comprised of regular citizens and a flurry of celebrities, under the slogan #NeverAgain. (People’s Daily app)

Deadly car bomb kills two in Egypt’s second largest city

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Two police officers were killed in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in a bombing attack on Saturday, which targeted a local security chief just two days before a presidential election.

According to Egyptian officials, five others were wounded in the blast, which was left under a car and exploded as police Major General Mostafa al-Nemr drove past.

While no group has claimed immediate responsibility for the explosion, ISIS members last month threatened to launch attacks during the election. (People’s Daily app)

Chinese scientist wins UNESCO for Women in Science Awards

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Chinese scientist Mee-Mann Chang was honored at the 2018 L’Oréal-United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Women in Science Awards in Paris on Thursday, along with four other women for their ground-breaking scientific work.

Chang received her award for her pioneering work on fossil records leading to insights on how aquatic vertebrates adapted to life and land. She, along with the other award winners, each received a prize of 100,000 euros (or roughly $123,000).

Chang is a professor at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology and a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences based in Beijing. (People’s Daily app)

Driverless subway trains to begin trial run in Shanghai

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A new metro line with driverless trains is expected to begin test runs by the end of March in Shanghai, the Shanghai Shentong Metro Group announced on March 23.

Stretching nearly 7 kilometers, the Automated People Mover system, links Huizhen Road and Shendu Highway Station.

The APM system has been used widely across the world and has previously been introduced in Beijing and Guangzhou. Currently, Shanghai has the world’s largest metro network, spanning 666 kilometers. (People’s Daily app)

Seoul to shut off computers to fight 'workaholic culture'

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The Seoul government has decided to power down all computers at 8 p.m. on Friday to stop the “culture of working overtime” among its employees.

The initiative, which was announced on Friday, will begin March 30 and will gradually shorten the Friday workday to 7:30 p.m. throughout April. Starting in May, all computers will be shut off by 7 p.m. every Friday.

The initiative is part of South Korean President Moon Jae-in's plan to reform the country’s work culture, where it's common to work overtime and underuse paid leave. 

Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.

This weekend’s poem is by ancient Chinese poet Wang Zhihuan:

“The sun beyond the mountains glows; / The Yellow River seaward flows. / You can enjoy a grander sight; / By climbing to a greater height.”

(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Ryan Yaoran Yu, Raymond Mendoza, Terry Guanlian Li, and Regina Barna.)